ORIGINAL ARTICLE Green Tea Extract Co-administered with a Polymer Effectively Prevents Alcoholic Liver Damage by Prolonged Inhibition of Alcohol Absorption in Mice

Abstract — Aims: Alcohol toxicity can induce multiple organ dysfunction, including the liver. Gallated catechins (GCs), the compo-nents of green tea extract (GTE), have been known to inhibit intestinal lipid absorption. This study was designed to investigate the in-hibitory effect of GC on the absorption of the lipid-soluble ethanol in normal mice. In addition, the effectiveness of prolonging the GC-mediated effect was evaluated as a means of preventing alcoholic liver damage. Methods: GTE was administered orally immedi-ately or 90 min before ethanol administration and the blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were measured. Binge ethanol administra-tion (by gavage every 6 h for 24 h) was used to induce acute liver injury, and GTE was administered 90 min prior to every ethanol administration. Results: When GTE, but not GC-decreased GTE, was administered immediately before ethanol intake, the blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels were significantly lower than those in the control. On the other hand, GTE has no effect when GTE was administered 90 min before ethanol intake. When GTE was co-administered with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) 90 min before ethanol intake, the lowering effect of GTE on the blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels was maintained in con-trast to the GTE-alone-treated group. After binge ethanol administration, liver weight decreased, and serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were elevated. Additionally, histopathological changes, such as macrovesicular steatosis and ne-crosis, were induced in the liver, together with reactive oxygen species generation. When GTE + PEG or GTE + PGA, but not GT